The Cold Within
by BlottedOutWords
Summary: After fleeing the kingdom of Arendelle, Elsa turns to the mountains for safety. As her sister continues to look for her, she meets a young man by the name of Jack Frost. Will he be able to break of the frozen barriers of her heart, and will Arendelle ever find peace again?


_**Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians or Frozen.**_

 **First fic! Please reveiw, all your opinions mean a lot to me! Rated T for safety.**

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 **Chapter 1**

You know that face of utter disgust people make when they step on something nasty? Something like a cockroach or a beetle or a dead fish or even horse manure? That twisted expression of horror and disdain mixed into one? Now, imagine being said cockroach. You're dead already—or at the very least close to it—and you see something like that look down at you, like you below nothing, and you just want to crawl into a hole and die all over again because you know you'll always be a nuisance to society. You'll always be _less_ than _them_. Now, multiply those faces by fifty, and you might have a faint idea of how I felt at that moment.

My heart clenched and my stomach was turning and I was filled with shame and fear. The faces, all staring at me, some of anger and condescension, but most of fright. There was this strange, shrill noise ringing in my head. My vision became blurry. I had a faint memory of saying something along the lines of "Sorry", but I'm not sure if it came out as a whisper, or something comprehensible, or just messed up garbage that no one understood. But whichever way, I meant it.

The noise wouldn't go away, the pain, the blurriness, none of it would leave me alone. I turned from the crowd, and ran, ran as fast as I could, gasping for breath, my little sister's voice lingering in my head.

The fjord froze as I took the first step. A small, but hard layer of ice formed almost immediately, and grimacing, I leapt across the mass of water, hoping Anna and her new "fiancé" wouldn't follow.

I was scared. I was scared and my heart was pounding and my feet were getting sore. I wanted to rest, but I couldn't. If I did, they'd catch up to me. They'd bring me back and lock me up and I'd be dead by morning. So, I ran. There was a small cabin that looked cozy and warm, with a bright light lit inside—a trading post of some sort—but I kept running. There was a steep incline at some point, and as it loomed over me I wanted to give up, but I kept running.

The North mountain was right there. I could see it. I could almost reach out, and just, touch it. I wanted to keep running, but it was getting dark and I couldn't risk falling off a cliff. So, instead I cleared some snow in an attempt to make some sort of snow-shelter, and at long last, luck decided to pay me a visit.

The little cave I found was suitable. Obviously not as glamorous as the castle, but it would do. At first I wanted to make a fire to warm myself, and after failing miserably, realized I was never one for heat anyway. Ice and snow and harsh winds were my territory. They were my powers. _I_ had control over _them_. It was only natural for me to not be afraid of the cold.

That night I slept better than I ever had.

I woke up much earlier than usual the next morning. At about four, I would say. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I used my powers intentionally and removed the snow that had covered my little cave the previous night. It worked like magic. Within moments there was crisp, mountain air filling the entire little area and my lungs felt clearer almost immediately.

I blinked a couple of times, using my hand to shield myself form the blinding sun reflecting off the snow. In the midst of the pure, untouched whiteness, were footprints. A girl, a boy's, and what seemed to belong to a horse or some other four legged creature.

 _Anna_.

She was the only one crazy enough to venture out in such harsh weather, it had to be her. But who was the boy? Was it Prince Hans? Was my sister really ignorant enough to leave our kingdom unattended just to try and find me? To take away from newly found freedom?

I clenched my teeth, more determined than ever to not let myself give back in the society's expectations, and ran. While Anna might have a steed with her, the ice and cold were on my side. I willed the wind and the snow the push me up, to give each step I took a higher momentum.

Following the tracks up the mountain, I saw them take a left at a crossroad, and opted for the right. Even if this was the slower, more dangerous way, I'd rather risk dying than being dragged back to that wretched palace. I was almost at the North mountain, and once I arrived, I could build a grand castle for myself, a kingdom of isolation, where I would rule as queen, free from any obligation to others. I could build up my defenses, create armies from snow, and no one would ever bother me again.

 _No one._

I felt free, I felt invincible. I unclasped my cape, and it flew off into the distance. I let everything my parents ever taught me go. Let it all go. I tossed my gloves into the snow, and the power surged through my fingers, the snow floating to the sky, creating beautiful patterns. I felt so _good_ , to not have to worry about anything. I closed my eyes and danced with the wind, going higher and higher up.

At long last, after so many years, I had finally created my own fortress of ice, of solitude, where no one would ever bother me again, where I was free to be myself. I let my magic fashion an elegant blue dress for myself, and flung open the doors to the balcony.

The sun was just beginning to rise, and I strode over to the very edge, my hand resting on the cold railing. Below was a chasm that separated the castle from the rest of the world, and I reached up, plucked the tiara from my head, stretched out my arm, and let in drop the abyss.

"Goodbye Elsa of Arendelle, hello Queen of Ice, Snow, and Sleet, Ruler of the North Mountain, "I whispered as the crown disappeared into the darkness.


End file.
